Where to stay
15 minutes from Amboise and Clos Lucé

The Royal Castle of Amboise

Perched on its rocky spur, the castle looks out over the Loire from a terrace with one of the finest views in the valley. A residence of the French kings during the Renaissance — Charles VIII was born here, François I spent his childhood here — it keeps its furnished apartments and, above all, the Saint-Hubert chapel where Leonardo da Vinci is buried. Allow about 1½ hours for the castle and its terraced gardens.

Château du Clos Lucé

A few hundred metres away, Clos Lucé was Leonardo da Vinci's final home, where he lived from 1516 until his death in 1519 at the invitation of François I. The house itself is furnished in period style, but for families the real draw is the park, dotted with full-size working models of his machines, several of which you can operate. Allow 2 hours including the grounds, more if your children linger at the machines — which they always do.

The old town and the market

Between the two châteaux, the old town is best seen on foot: cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and troglodyte dwellings carved into the tuffeau cliffs. The Sunday morning market along the Loire is one of the best known in the region — the place to assemble a proper local dinner to cook back at the house: Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine goat's cheese, rillettes, and wines from Vouvray or Montlouis.

The Pagoda of Chanteloup

A little-known curiosity a few minutes south of Amboise: a seven-storey Chinese pagoda built in the 18th century, the sole survivor of a vast château that has otherwise vanished. The climb is rewarded with a 360° view over forest and valley, and the lakeside park, with its rowing boats and old-fashioned garden games, makes a perfect late afternoon with children.

Getting there from the houses

Allow 15 minutes by car, on country roads with no motorway. In Amboise the easiest approach is to park along the Loire embankment and do everything on foot — the castle, the old town and Clos Lucé are all within a few minutes of each other. Opening hours and prices vary by season, so check the official sites for the Royal Castle of Amboise and Clos Lucé before setting off.